A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
THE' Morro Castle ' fire, coming after the ' Atlantique ' and ` Georges Philippar ' disasters, throws the record of British liners into favourable relief. How long it is since a British ship was . gutted I cannot say, but there is certainly nothing in recent history to compare with the fires on these French and American boats. . But some British lines might profit by the ' Morro Castle' tragedy to tighten up their regulations about boat-drill considerably. On some of the pleasure cruises passengers are allowed to be far too casual about turning up with their lifebelts at the appointed boat-station. In an emergency their slackness might cost dozens of lives. A modern liner, now that for decorative purposes light woods are substituted for the less inflammable oak, and the demand for long promenades and large public rooms makes it much more difficult to localize a conflagration, blazes quickly once it gets well alight—and much more so, of course, in a high breeze at sea than if the lire starts (as in the case of the Europa ') in dock. The Washington enquiry on the ' Morro Castle ' is being carried out with promptitude and to all appearance with efficiency, comparing favourably in that respect with the Titanic ' enquiry in 1912, with its famous question by a Senator as to why the passengers did not get into the watertight compartments.
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